U.S. Inflation rate flat at 3.7% in September, suggesting long road back to 2% target

The US inflation rate remained steady at 3.7% in September 2023, defying market expectations of a slight decrease to 3.6%, as a softer decline in energy prices offset slowing inflationary pressures in other categories. Energy costs fell by 0.5%, following a 3.6% decrease in August, primarily driven by a rebound in fuel prices. Additionally, prices increased at softer rates for food (3.7% vs. 4.3%), new vehicles (2.5% vs. 2.9%), apparel (2.3% vs. 3.1%), medical care commodities (4.2% vs. 4.5%), shelter (7.2% vs. 7.3%), and transportation services (9.1% vs. 10.3%). Costs for used cars and trucks, as well as medical care services, continued to decline. The core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, slowed to 4.1%, marking its lowest reading since September 2021. On a monthly basis, consumer prices advanced by 0.4%, easing from a 0.6% gain in August but exceeding market expectations of 0.3%, while the core rate remained unchanged at 0.3%․